1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a device to dissipate gases created upon the occurrence of a quench of a superconducting magnet of the type having a quench tube and a front sealing element sealing the quench tube on the magnet side.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A quench of a superconducting magnet can occur in very rare cases. A quench is a sudden transition from the superconducting state into the normally-conducting state. The energy of the magnetic field is thereby converted into heat. Since such magnets usually are cooled with a liquefied gas, in particular liquefied helium, this is vaporized by the created heat. In the case of a quench the gas must be conducted quickly and safely into the atmosphere.
Quench tubes are provided at magnets for this purpose. These are tubes with a diameter of approximately 20 to 40 cm that conduct the gas out from the building to the atmosphere in the event of a quench. It is extremely important that this quench tube is never leaky or blocked at all. If this were to occur the building can be flooded with helium in the case of a leaky quench tube, presenting the danger of asphyxiation for persons possibly present. Splitting of the magnet occurs in the event of a blockage. Since a quench occurs extremely rarely, continuous monitoring of the quench tube is atypical.
The quench tube normally is checked by an overview at regular intervals, for example yearly intervals. Slight leakages or blockages can arise in between these checks. The danger of a malfunction therefore always exists were a quench to occur.